Charing Cross Hospital Medical School
Encyclopedia
Charing Cross Hospital Medical School (CXHMS) is the oldest of the constituent medical schools of Imperial College School of Medicine
.
, by Dr Benjamin Golding
, to meet the needs of the poor who flocked to the cities in search of work in the new factories. This was a revolutionary notion at a time when London doctors mainly practised privately. The hospital was well patronised, and soon had to move to larger premises in Agar Street (near Villiers Street
, off the Strand
), where it first became known as Charing Cross in 1834.
Buildings on this site were expanded several times, but by the late 1950s it became clear that no further expansion would be possible in the area, and the hospital would have to move. Two sites were identified – a rebuild of the Fulham
Hospital in west London, and a new-build site at Northwick Park
in Harrow, north London. Whilst many staff supported the idea of moving to the northern suburbs, the Fulham site was selected and building began in the late 1960s. Northwick Park Hospital
was built as well, but to a reduced budget.
The new hospital opened in 1973, still known as Charing Cross Hospital. To avoid confusion, for the first ten years, correspondence was referred to "Charing Cross Hospital at Fulham". The discrepancy continues to have ramifications to this day, as patients from outside London (and sometimes new students) arrive in the Strand and begin to look around for the hospital. (Getting lost appears to be something of a feature of CX students, as one of their most famous alumni is Dr Livingstone
, of “…I presume”
fame, who was missing on expedition in Africa for five years).
centres in London; and advances in oncology
and chemotherapy
. Students of the medical school have benefited from this expertise, with many taking a research interest in these areas during their training.
, it saw the start of many ongoing traditions, (including the annual "Invasion of London", in which garishly-dressed students persuade commuters and other city folk to donate to charity), most of which seem to centre around the medical school bar. The Reynolds bar houses a mysterious elephant/dinosaur skull (provenance unknown), as well as many other items of memorabilia. A large brass Maltese cross
was brought from the old (Strand) site to the bar to serve as the students' emblem. The cross was from the top of the dome in the strand building and was rescued in 1973. It spent the next 4 years under the bed of a student and was given to the Medical School in 1978 when the student qualified. Newly Qualified doctors now "Sign the Cross" on graduation, making it a legend in our lifetime! Seeing as the nearby St Mary's Hospital Medical School
had a 2ft cast of Paddington Bear
in their bar (affectionately known as Gladys'), it became a regular occurrence for teams of students to attempt to capture the rival emblem.
to form Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School
(CXWMS). This merger took place against the background of a series of mergers between London medical schools in the early 1980s, which foreshadowed the second, larger round of mergers in the late 1990s. During this round, CXWMS merged with Imperial College, London (whose medical department was at St Mary's Hospital Medical School
), the National Heart and Lung Institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital, and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School
to form Imperial College School of Medicine
.
Imperial College School of Medicine
The Imperial College School of Medicine is the medical school of Imperial College London in England, and one of the United Hospitals....
.
History
It was founded in 1818, as part of the Charing Cross HospitalCharing Cross Hospital
Charing Cross Hospital is a general, acute hospital located in London, United Kingdom and established in 1818. It is located several miles to the west of the city centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham....
, by Dr Benjamin Golding
Benjamin Golding
Dr Benjamin Golding was a British doctor and the founder of Charing Cross Hospital.He was born on 7 September 1793 in the town of St. Osyth, Essex.Golding died in 1863 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London....
, to meet the needs of the poor who flocked to the cities in search of work in the new factories. This was a revolutionary notion at a time when London doctors mainly practised privately. The hospital was well patronised, and soon had to move to larger premises in Agar Street (near Villiers Street
Villiers Street
Villiers Street is a street in London connecting The Strand with The Embankment. It was built by Nicholas Bourbon in the 1670s on the site of York House, the property of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham whose name the street commemorates...
, off the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
), where it first became known as Charing Cross in 1834.
Buildings on this site were expanded several times, but by the late 1950s it became clear that no further expansion would be possible in the area, and the hospital would have to move. Two sites were identified – a rebuild of the Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
Hospital in west London, and a new-build site at Northwick Park
Northwick Park
Northwick Park is an area in northwest London, which forms part in the London Borough of Brent and London Borough of Harrow.The area is most notable for Northwick Park Hospital, a major NHS hospital. This hospital featured as the outdoor location for the hospital in which Sybil Fawlty was admitted...
in Harrow, north London. Whilst many staff supported the idea of moving to the northern suburbs, the Fulham site was selected and building began in the late 1960s. Northwick Park Hospital
Northwick Park Hospital
Northwick Park Hospital is a large hospital in the northwest corner of the London Borough of Brent in Greater London, England.-Hospital role:...
was built as well, but to a reduced budget.
The new hospital opened in 1973, still known as Charing Cross Hospital. To avoid confusion, for the first ten years, correspondence was referred to "Charing Cross Hospital at Fulham". The discrepancy continues to have ramifications to this day, as patients from outside London (and sometimes new students) arrive in the Strand and begin to look around for the hospital. (Getting lost appears to be something of a feature of CX students, as one of their most famous alumni is Dr Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
, of “…I presume”
Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" is a 1968 song by the English rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, although he does not play the flute in this particular song. First released in June 1968 on the B-side of "Voices in the Sky," "Dr...
fame, who was missing on expedition in Africa for five years).
Medical advances
Charing Cross remains a hospital on the forefront of medicine; in recent times pioneering the clinical use of CT scanning, reflective of its position as one of the most important neuroscienceNeuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
centres in London; and advances in oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. Students of the medical school have benefited from this expertise, with many taking a research interest in these areas during their training.
New hospital
From the opening of the new hospital in 1973, the medical school was contained entirely within the hospital tower (in the east wing laboratory block), but in 1976 the medical school's own building (the Reynolds Building) was completed. Housing the CXHMS students’ union (now part of Imperial College School of Medicine Students' UnionImperial College School of Medicine Students' Union
Imperial College School of Medicine Students' Union is the students' union of Imperial College School of Medicine. It is charged with caring for the educational, pastoral, social and extracurricular needs of the students of the Faculty of Medicine of Imperial College London, and is a faculty union...
, it saw the start of many ongoing traditions, (including the annual "Invasion of London", in which garishly-dressed students persuade commuters and other city folk to donate to charity), most of which seem to centre around the medical school bar. The Reynolds bar houses a mysterious elephant/dinosaur skull (provenance unknown), as well as many other items of memorabilia. A large brass Maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
was brought from the old (Strand) site to the bar to serve as the students' emblem. The cross was from the top of the dome in the strand building and was rescued in 1973. It spent the next 4 years under the bed of a student and was given to the Medical School in 1978 when the student qualified. Newly Qualified doctors now "Sign the Cross" on graduation, making it a legend in our lifetime! Seeing as the nearby St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's is the youngest of the constituent schools of Imperial College, London, founded in 1854 as part of the new hospital in Paddington. During its existence in the 1980s and 90s, it was the most popular medical school in the country, with an application to place ratio of 27:1 in 1996.St Mary's...
had a 2ft cast of Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
in their bar (affectionately known as Gladys'), it became a regular occurrence for teams of students to attempt to capture the rival emblem.
Merger
In 1984, CXHMS merged with local rivals Westminster Hospital Medical SchoolWestminster Hospital Medical School
The Westminster Hospital Medical School was formally founded in 1834 by George Guthrie, an ex-military surgeon - although students had been taken on at Westminster Hospital almost from the hospital's foundation in 1719 .The hospital and medical school moved to larger buildings several times in the...
to form Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School
Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School
Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School existed as a legal entity for 13 years, as the midpoint of a series of mergers which strategically consolidated the many small medical schools in west London into one large institution under the aegis of Imperial College LondonIn 1984, Charing Cross...
(CXWMS). This merger took place against the background of a series of mergers between London medical schools in the early 1980s, which foreshadowed the second, larger round of mergers in the late 1990s. During this round, CXWMS merged with Imperial College, London (whose medical department was at St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's is the youngest of the constituent schools of Imperial College, London, founded in 1854 as part of the new hospital in Paddington. During its existence in the 1980s and 90s, it was the most popular medical school in the country, with an application to place ratio of 27:1 in 1996.St Mary's...
), the National Heart and Lung Institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital, and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School
Royal Postgraduate Medical School
The Royal Postgraduate Medical School was an independent medical school, based primarily at Hammersmith Hospital in west London. In 1988, the school merged with the Institute of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and in 1997 became part of the Imperial College School of Medicine.-History:The medical school...
to form Imperial College School of Medicine
Imperial College School of Medicine
The Imperial College School of Medicine is the medical school of Imperial College London in England, and one of the United Hospitals....
.
Alumni
- Patrick DixonPatrick DixonDr Patrick Dixon is an author and business consultant, often described as a futurist. In 2005 he was ranked as one of the 20 most influential business thinkers alive according to the Thinkers 50...
- Joseph FayrerJoseph FayrerSir Joseph Fayrer, 1st Baronet was an English physician noted for his writings on medicine in India.The son of a Commander in the Royal Navy, he was born at Plymouth, Devon. After studying medicine at Charing Cross Hospital, London, he was in 1847 appointed medical officer of HMS Victory...
- Rosalind HurleyRosalind HurleyDame Rosalinde Hurley, Mrs. Gortvai, DBE, FRC, FRCPath, FRCOG was knighted by the British government for her services to medicine, science and law.She was:...
- Thomas Henry Huxley
- Sir Bruce KeoghBruce KeoghProfessor Sir Bruce E. Keogh, KBE, FRCS is Medical Director of the National Health Service in England.-Biography:He was born in Zimbabwe where he attended school at St George's College, Harare.- Medical career :...
, Medical Director of the NHSNational Health Service (England)The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how... - Louise Lake-TackLouise Lake-TackDame Louise Agnetha Lake-Tack, GCMG, DStJ is the current Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda.-Background and earlier career:...
, Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, 2007- - David LivingstoneDavid LivingstoneDavid Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
- Christine MoffattChristine MoffattChristine Joy Moffatt, CBE, FRCN is a British nurse and educator.Following training at Charing Cross Hospital, Moffatt trained as a district nurse. Following a diploma in leg ulcer care she became involved in research, became a lecturer at Imperial College London...
- William Kitchen Parker
- Ann RedgraveAnn RedgraveDr Ann Redgrave, Lady Redgrave MB BS DO , is the wife of British rower Sir Steve Redgrave CBE and is a qualified British doctor and osteopath....
, wife of Steve RedgraveSteve RedgraveSir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals... - Edith SummerskillEdith SummerskillEdith Clara Summerskill, Baroness Summerskill CH PC was a British physician, feminist, misandrist, Labour politician and writer. She was appointed to the Privy Council in 1949.-Early life:...
- Jane YardleyJane YardleyJane Yardley is an English author, raised in a village in 1960s Essex, . She went to university in London and gained a Ph.D. degree from Charing Cross Hospital Medical School...
, author
List of Deans
| Dean | Degrees | Took Office | Left Office |
| Benjamin Golding Benjamin Golding Dr Benjamin Golding was a British doctor and the founder of Charing Cross Hospital.He was born on 7 September 1793 in the town of St. Osyth, Essex.Golding died in 1863 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.... |
MD | 1821 | 1856 |
| Henry Hancock | FRCS | 1856 | 1867 |
| W Hyde Salter | MD FRCP FRS | 1867 | 1868 |
| Julius Pollock | MD FRCP | 1868 | 1874 |
| Francis Hird | FRCS | 1874 | 1883 |
| J Mitchell Bruce | MA MD FRCP | 1883 | 1890 |
| Stanley Boyd | MBBS FRCS | 1890 | 1895 |
| J Montague Murray | MD FRCP | 1895 | 1901 |
| HF Waterhouse | MD CM FRCS | 1901 | 1906 |
| Christopher Addison Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison Sir Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison KG, PC was a British medical doctor and politician. By turns a liberal and a socialist, he served as Minister of Munitions during the first World War, and was later Minister of Health under David Lloyd George and Leader of the House of Lords under... |
MD FRCS | 1906 | 1907 |
| FC Wallis | MBBS FRCS | 1907 | 1910 |
| CF Myers Ward | LRCP MRCS | 1910 | 1911 |
| William Hunter | MD CM FRCS FRS(Ed) | 1911 | 1917 |
| William J Fenton | MD FRCP | 1917 | 1927 |
| FH Young | OBE MD FRCP | 1927 | 1930 |
| Eric A Crook | MA MCh FRCS | 1930 | 1940 |
| RA Hickling | BA MD FRCP | 1940 | 1944 |
| HWC Vines | MA MD | 1944 | 1950 |
| Edwin C Warner | BSc MD FRCP | 1950 | 1956 |
| William J Hamilton | DSc MD FRCOG FRS(Ed) | 1956 | 1962 |
| Seymour JR Reynolds | MA MBBChir DMRE | 1962 | 1976 |
| Tony W Glenister | CBE TD MBBS PhD DSc | 1976 | 1989 |
| John EH Pendower | MBBS FRCS Barrister-at-Law | 1989 | 1993 |
| Roger M Greenhalgh | MA MD MChir FRCS | 1993 | 1997 |
| M Whitehouse | MA MD FRCP FRCP(Edin) FRCR | 1997 | |